The air bit back with every breath, a corrosive mix of rot and ruin. Silence wrapped around me, heavy and oppressive, only breaking with the guttural growls of unseen predators, their echoes threading through the hollowed-out structures, mourning the lost city.430Please respect copyright.PENANAvdcw7bYN99
I moved slowly, each step calculated. The city’s skeletons loomed above, jagged spires of metal casting twisted shadows that clawed at the ground like desperate hands reaching for salvation.
My throat burned with each inhale, the acidic air scraping raw against my lungs. As I pushed forward, a distinct scent sliced through the miasma—a sharp, burnt odor, more deliberate, more malevolent. It sent a jolt of adrenaline through me.
I froze, scanning the wasteland around me before following the scent. It led me into an open square, a landscape of charred ruin revealed through the shifting fog. The remnants of battle were scorched into the earth—blackened craters, smoldering debris, and the skeletal remain of a military droid.
The droid was massive, a titan brought to its knees. Once a symbol of relentless power, now a lifeless husk. Its armor, once sleek and formidable, was now marred by gashes, its metal skin charred and broken. A dying pulse of light flickered from its core, the system's last gasps echoing through the square. Around it, the twisted bodies of beasts—charred and smoking—twitched sporadically, their death throes painting a grim scene.
Static crackled from the droid’s remains, a discordant symphony of its dying systems. I moved closer, drawn to something barely visible beneath its twisted limb. With a careful tug, I freed it—a plasma gun, scorched and battle-worn. The weapon had seen its share of violence, yet it hummed with a faint, reassuring energy. It felt right in my hands, a relic of power amidst the desolation.
“Score,” Arvie’s voice quipped in my mind, a hint of satisfaction beneath her tone. “This levels the playing field.”
My attention shifted to the writhing creatures around the droid. With innate precision, I aimed and fired. Bolts of plasma lanced through the fog, tearing into the beasts, their forms caught in a brief flash before they crumbled to the ground.
One remained—a hulking mass, its breath ragged and uneven. Its milky eyes locked onto me, blind yet aware. I squeezed the trigger one last time, the final shot putting it to rest.
“Impressive, as always,” Arvie’s approval was warm, like a small comfort in the void. “Now, let’s see what that weapon can really do.”
I inspected the gun, and the interface flared to life in my mind. Holographic readouts streamed across my vision, detailing its status. A third of its energy remained, enough to last for a while or to function as a cutter in close quarters. Satisfied, I holstered the weapon, feeling its weight as a silent promise of survival.
I pressed on, the ruins around me a battlefield of forgotten systems. Rogue defense turrets flared to life as I passed, their sensors glitching, their targeting systems erratic. Rusted and neglected, they fired in wild bursts, their accuracy reduced to chaotic barrages. Each encounter was a gamble, every step a dance with danger.
The ground beneath was just as hostile. Shards of metal, shattered glass, and unstable rubble made every step precarious. Chasms yawned wide, threatening to swallow the unwary, while toxic sludge pooled in the lower streets, a poisonous trap waiting to ensnare. I skirted around these hazards, staying clear of the collapsed areas where the city’s infrastructure had given way, exposing the labyrinthine caverns below.
But the real threat came from the shadows. Creatures moved within the fog, darting between the broken structures, their movements fluid and unnatural. They emerged from the cracks in the city, from the caverns below, and vanished just as quickly. They were relentless, born of the abyss that had claimed this place.
I kept my distance, steering clear of the collapsed sectors. Those darkened paths led to nowhere but death. Instead, I sought out higher ground, the crumbling towers and fractured walkways offering a precarious refuge. With the plasma gun at my side, I felt a flicker of confidence in this nightmare landscape. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.
In a world where danger and confusion reigned, where every corner held the promise of death, that spark of confidence was the only thing keeping me going.430Please respect copyright.PENANAWPMGlKUDu9